Fraser Dawson rejoins the firm following senior leadership role at NEOM Investment Fund, as Addleshaw Goddard continues to expand its Abu Dhabi and wider Middle East offering.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – June, 2026: International law firm, Addleshaw Goddard, has announced the return of Fraser Dawson to the firm’s Middle East practice, joining its Abu Dhabi office as a Partner in the Corporate and Private Equity team. His position is effective 1 June 2026.
Fraser rejoins Addleshaw Goddard following a senior leadership role at NEOM Investment Fund, where he served as Executive Director (Investments), Board Secretary and General Counsel. During his time at the giga-project, he worked across complex investment, governance and strategic initiatives, allowing him to bring a unique operator-side perspective to his new role.
Previously a Partner in Addleshaw Goddard’s Dubai office between January 2022 and April 2023, Fraser has a wealth of experience advising clients across a range of corporate transactions, including private equity, M&A and strategic investments, with extensive experience supporting sovereign-linked entities, institutional investors and multinational businesses operating across the GCC and internationally. Uniquely amongst his peers, Fraser is also a CFA® Charterholder and has completed the CFA® Private Equity and Advanced Private Equity Certificates.
His return comes as Addleshaw Goddard continues to expand its Middle East presence and deepen its Abu Dhabi offering ahead of the first anniversary of the office’s launch in June 2025. Over the past year, the firm has continued to strengthen its regional capabilities through a series of strategic hires and relocations spanning corporate, transport, energy and construction.
Robin Hickman, Head of Middle East at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “Fraser’s return reflects both the continued growth of our Middle East practice and the increasingly sophisticated needs of clients operating across the region. His experience advising on complex transactions, combined with his first-hand leadership and governance experience inside one of the region’s most ambitious investment and development environments, brings a highly differentiated perspective to our clients. Abu Dhabi continues to be a strategically important market for the firm, and Fraser’s arrival further strengthens the depth of expertise we are building across the region.”
Fraser Dawson, Partner – Corporate and Private Equity at Addleshaw Goddard, added: “This is a particularly exciting time to be rejoining Addleshaw Goddard and returning to private practice in the Middle East. The region continues to evolve rapidly, with deepening complexity across investment structures, governance frameworks and cross-border transactions. My experience working within a major development and investment platform has reinforced the importance of commercially grounded, strategic legal advice, and I look forward to supporting clients as they navigate the next phase of growth and transformation across the GCC.”
Fraser’s appointment further strengthens Addleshaw Goddard’s regional corporate and private capital capabilities as the firm continues to invest in supporting clients across evolving sectors and growth markets throughout the Middle East. Addleshaw Goddard boasts one of the largest Corporate teams in the Middle East, consisting of 13 partners and 2 counsel specializing in M&A, private equity, tax & restructuring, and commercial transactions.
About Addleshaw Goddard:
Addleshaw Goddard is a global law firm with 2,800+ partners and employees across our 21 offices spanning key commercial centres around the world. Six in the UK – London, Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen; nine in Europe – four in Germany and one in Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Poland and Spain; a further five in the GCC – Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, and Riyadh; and one in Asia – Singapore. We have over 450 Partners and nearly 2,000 lawyers and fee-earners worldwide. In the Middle East we have 31 Partners and close to 100 other fee earners.
